Iron Man

The level of expectation for this flick is on par with the other superhero movies of the past few years; Spider Man, the Hulk, X-Men, Batman, Superman and even the Punisher. There is something distinctly different about Iron Man however. The protagonist does not have superpowers, and there is not a fictitious world that is dealing with calamities and despondence. The energy of the film is not dark, like Batman, or reliant upon vengeance as a primary motivator. Iron Man is a reluctant super hero who is created out of self-preservation and necessity.

Tony Stark is the rock music loving, hard drinking, womanizing billionaire CEO of a cutting edge defense technology corporation, and his self-absorbed attitude and arrogant demeanor becomes evident within the first few minutes of the film as he is conversing with his military escort in Afghanistan. There is something very likable about his character however, and it may be his honesty and the quick-witted, silver-tongued delivery of his flirtatious comments. He knows that he is brilliant, powerful and wealthy, and he pulls no punches in letting the audience know that he has the perfect life.

His world is turned upside-down when he is captured and forced to build a replica of his latest weapon of mass destruction, but the revelation of the extent of his own contribution to world disorder gives him the motivation to escape and change his ways.

What makes this film better than your run-of-the-mill superhero film is the humanity and dependence on technology as opposed to unexplainable natural powers or a far-fetched back story. Not that there is a shred of realism in the concept of electromagnetic arc energy, or that a man alone could create a suit enabling him to fly and fight crime, but in the context of this film, it all adds up and makes perfect sense.

Jon Favreau has tinkered with directing over the past decade, and did a fine job with 2003's Elf, but this film will propel him to a higher level as an action director. It was very well executed and the visual effects were top notch. There were the obligatory moments of levity interspersed with the high-tech action sequences, but they were done tastefully with quick dialogue and a minimal amount of forced humor.

Downey has resurrected his stalled career, and with this summer's Tropic Thunder, he will again take his place among the biggest names in Hollywood. He was perfect for this part and his supporting cast did great in very subtle roles. The only exception was Paltrow who plays the assistant/unrequited love interest Pepper Potts the way that she was meant to be played, along the lines of Lois Lane, Rachel Dawes and Betty Ross. They have ridiculous alliterative names, and are too cute and devoted to either their man or their work be taken seriously.

Bridges plays Stark's mentor with his trademark gravelly voice, and avoids the trap of being too eccentric as the villain. He is a wonderful actor who has not received ample credit for his body of work. Howard gives an understated performance as Stark's best friend and military liaison. Even one of Favreau's entourage, Peter Billingsley (also executive producer - remember him from A Christmas Story?) makes a cameo appearance with the greatest fake balding haircut on screen this year (or maybe ever). It must have been as result of a bet or some sort of inside joke.

There has been some criticism that the action takes too long to develop, but in reality there is just enough back story to make the anticipation worth the wait. The climactic battle is textbook superhero fighting, but that can't be held against the film. The visual and special effects were outstanding in every way. The only complaint I have is that Stark should have died multiple times. For someone without any real superpowers, his body is incredibly resilient to trauma. Easy to overlook with all of the positive aspects of this film. I couldn't think of a better way to kick off the blockbuster season, Iron Man is going to be a top 5 grossing film this year. I highly recommend this wildly entertaining action flick - 9/10.